he was a man for whom control was an absolute and realisable dream, and it manifested itself even to such absurd lengths. He was one of the best examples of the principle that power is at its greatest when not actually being used.

I am always happiest when I can tell people things that they do not know. Perhaps that is why I am writing this.

I am just as ashamed now, but I will still own to it. It is easy for a comfortable, free man to cry at the fall of every little bird. A prisoner in fear of his life has precious little regret to spare for anyone else.

…faith feeds on persecution. If you try to stop someone doing something, even for a perfectly obvious reason, they will assume there is some great secret you are trying to keep from them.

when you set out to change things, the things you want to change push back.

Those closest to us were well-mapped, familiar to all, devoid of wonder.

It is a great lie of civilisation that the things we invest with our emotions are real and important, but they are not. Take away the people and they vanish into smoke. All those idle dreams: government, money, education, love, revenge. All these things are parasites that cannot survive without the host.

Astonishing how a species-wide extinction event can pale before the knives of personal tragedy.